hammond



H. D. HAMMOND, l. W. ACHELPOHL, AND A. LESLIE.

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I6. I92I.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I'.

vlllHl H. D. HAMMOND, l. W. ACHELPOHL, AND A. L ESLIE.

CGLLAPSIBLE CRATE.

i APPLICATION FILED AuG.Is. I92I.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. D) HAMMOND, J. W. ACHELPOHL, AND AL LESLIE.

l COLLAPSIBIE CRATE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. I6'. 192|..

..142558'1 l J Patented Aug. 15, 1922. 4 a sIIEETs-sIIEET s.

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HARRY D. HAMMOND, JOHN w. serramenti," ANN .Annan Lastre, `or ARGONIA,

NANsAs.

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE.

Specification of 'Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 15, 1922..

Application filed-August 16, 192].. SeraltNo. 492,710.

T0 all Lo/wm it may concern.'

Be it known that we` HARRY D.. HAM- MOND, JOHN WV. Aonnrironn, and ABNNR Liss- LIE, all citizens of the UnitedStates, and all residing` at Argonia, in the county of Sumner and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Collapsible Crates, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to improvements in collapsible crates made of metal4 and designed particularly for the transportation of poultry, althoughsuitable for other oommodities.

The object of the inventionis the provision of a metal crate which is suciently strong to withstand the rough usage to which it will be subjected under operating conditions, but which will be ofcomparatively light weightv and easy to assemble.

A further object of the` invention is the provision of a crate of this character which may be readily expanded for the purpose of adapting it to be filled with the commodities to be transported, and which may be as easily contracted, or knockedfdown,7 so as to occupy a much reduced space, for returnto its original source. f

A still further object ofthe invention is the provision of a crate as above described,` equipped with adjustably mounted wires or rods adapted to prevent egress from the crate of the poultry or other commodities vretained therein. ther objects, incident to those recited, will be` pointed out inthe following specification"- v In the accompanying drawings,

" Figure 1 is a perspective viewy of the crate` expanded.

Fig. 2 is a central ysection of the crate in folded or knoclrdownposition; 1 l Fig. Sis a top plan view of the crate. Fig. 4 is a centralvsection ofthe crate in expanded position.

Fig. 5 is an end'view of the crate. i Fig.A 6 is a cross section taken on line (3-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a detail of a telescoping member adapted to retain the crate in its expanded or contracted position. e

Fig. 8 is a detail of a vertical side brace used on the crate, and

Fig. 9 is a sectional detail showing means of adjustment of the retaining wires or rods. Referring vspecifically to the' drawings,k

which show an embodiment of our invention, Fig. 1 shows a crate provided, on each side, with upper rails 1 and lower rails 2, and upon each end with upper rails 3 and lower rails 4. Vertical braces are provided for eachv side of the crate, one atk each end and one at approximately the middle there of, and horizontal braces 6 extend across the top of the crate, at each end and near the middle.

As shown in Fig. 1, the side braces 5 are provided with flanges? extending at right angles to the body portion of the braces 5. The said flanges 7', carried by the braces 5 `which are located' at the ends of the crate,

rior of the crate, and the purpose thereof will be hereinafter discussed.

The side rails 1, are provided with inwardly turned flanges 8, and the bottom rails .2 y,are similarly YVprovided with flanges 9. A

floor l0 rests upon and is riveted or other-y wise secured to saidv flanges 9.

ln the assembly of the crate as so far described, the railsv 1 and 2 are pivotally secured, at a yto the respective ends of `the braces 5, and the rails 3 and 4 are riveted or otherwise rigidly secured tothe flanges 7 of ythe end side braces 5. The braces G are rigidly secured to the inwardlyturned flanges 8 ofthe rails1',yand a rectangularly shaped skeleton' structure is thereby formed, adapted for pivotal movement upona.y rlhe retaining wires or rods 11 are provided to prevent egress from the crate of the poultry or other commodities thereinl conf tained. Each wire isa continuous member, provided with a hook at each end. A pluf rality of apertures are provided in the end flanges 7, and, extending through each of said apertures, is an internally screw threaded sleeve 12, provided with a head 13, having therein a recess 14 for the reception of a screw driver or otheroperating tool. Short stub wires or rods 15, .having externally screw threaded Shanks adapted to extend into and koperatively engage the threads within the sleeve 12, are provided for each of the wires 11 used upon the sides of the crate. The outer endsof the wires 15 arey provided with hooks adapted for connection with the hoolrs upon the ends of the wires 11. The construction just described is shown in Figs. 9J, .il `and 9. The wires 11 are threaded through apertures in the lmiddle flanges 7, which act as` guides and preserve the parallel relation of said wires l1. The hooks 16 on the stub wires 15, are then engaged with the hooks on the ends of the wires 11; the sleeves 12 are then inserted through the apertures in the end flanges 7, and the free ends of the stub wires 15 introduced into the sleeves 12. A rotation of the sleeve 12, through the proper manipulation of a suitable tool inserted in the slot 14, will exert a pull to tighten the wires 11, as will be obvious, and it is equally clear that the wires 11 may thus be adjusted to any desired tension.

The top wires 11 are hoolred at 'each end, and extend between the braces 6 on the top of the crate, the hooks entering apertures provided in said braces as clearly shown in the drawings. Similarly, the end wires 11 extend between the end flanges 7, as clearly shown.

In order to furnish a door for the crate, we provide a slidable panel 17, extending across the top thereof. Said panel 17 extends over and upon a strip 1S, connected to the lower surface of the flanges 8, as shown in Fig. 1, the panel also extending u nder the braces 6, at each end and the middle. Inserts 19 are provided on each side of the ends and at the middle of the panel 17, said inserts being secured in position by fastening members extending through the braces 6 and the stripS. This construction provides ,atrack or guide for the panel, said guide being formed between the adjacent edges of the inserts 19, and the bottom of brace 6 and the top of strip 18. a means of preventing undesired longitudinal movement of the panel 17 I provide a pin 20, secured to a chain 21, and adapted for inser-` tion through ank aperture in the middle brace 6, through a registering aperture in the panel 17, and also through a third registering aperture in the central strip 18. The chain '21 vis connected to a ring which encircles one of the wires 11. ,L

In the construction shown in Fig. 1, when the crate is pressed downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2, the bottom of the crate remains stationary, and the top moves to the right, the rails 1 pivotine' on the upper ends of the end braces 5, which latter pivot at their lower ends on the stationary rails 2. In order to permit the necessary pivotal movement of the braces 5 however, the upper left-hand corner thereof is rounded off, and the lower right-hand corner is similarly rounded off, as shown in Fig. 8. During the pivotal movement hereinbefore described, the curved llower edges of the braces 5, rock on thefloor 10 ofthe crate, while the curved upper edgesrock upon the lower surface of the flanges 8. Beca-use of the sharp corner 5a, at the top of the braces 5, pivotal movement to the left, beyond the position shown in Fig. 1, is effectively resisted.

Vile provide upon each side of the crate, means for retaining the crate in expanded or contracted position, such means consisting of a sheath Q2, pivoted at its bottom to the lower end of the left hand brace 5. Said sheath is adapted for the reception of a bar 23, which extends therein, the outer end of said bar being pivoted at a to the upperend of the middle brafqe This construction is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 7. The sheath 22 is perforated at 24 for the reception of a pin Q5, connected to a chain 26 secured to the crate. lin aperture 27 is also provided in the bar 23, at such a position-that, when the crate is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the aperture in the sheath and in the bar, will register and the pin 25 may be inserted through both apertures and lock the crate in that posit-ion. The lower portion of the bar 23 is also provided with another aperture, so positioned as to register with the aperture in the sheath 22, when the crate is contracted, as shown in F 2, in which p0- sition the pin 25 may be inserted and lock the crate in that position.

lt is to be noted that, in the position shown in Fig. 1, the upper rail 3, at the left end, is dropped below the brace 6, while the lower rail el is immediately adjacent the floor. Conversely, at the right end of the crate, the upper rail 3 is immediately adjacent the brace'7 and the lower rail 4 is raised from the floor 10. This construction prevents interference with the pivotal movenient of the crate, as will be understood.

It is to be noted that wires 11 extend between the flanges 7, carried by the middle braces 5, thereby forming ra partition eX- tending substantially centrally of the crate, and dividing the latter in sections. The advantages of sectional crates are obvious.

rlhe operation of our crate is believed to have been sutliciently described in the foregoing and no kfurther elaboration is necessary.

The rails, floor and braces are preferably of sheet metahas are also the sheath 22, and the bar 23,' providing a structure which is entirely of lmetal, but which might be produced, to operate. of other material, at a sacrifice of durability.

lt is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details .of our construction and the arrangement of parts without departing` from the spirit of our invention, and therefore we do not wish to lbe limited to such details except as may be required by interpretation of the appended claims.

W e claim:

1. In combination with a collapsible crate providedwith abottom and with atop and sides adapted for pivotal movement thereon to a contracted or expanded position, of av member pivoted to said sides and adapted for the reception ol2 another member pivot'ed to said sides, and means for locking said members together to hold the crate in either its expanded or contracted position. .v

2. A crate provided with top and bottom members mounted for relative. swinging movement, whereby kthe crate may be expanded or contracted, and with means for locking said crate in either position, said means comprising co-acting locking elements pivotally carried bysaid members, one of said elements being reciprocably mounted within the other and means 'for preventing relative reciprocation of said elements when the crate is in expanded or contracted position. f

3. A crate provided with a bottom and a top supported to swing thereon wherebythe crate may be expanded or contracted, an apertured sheath pvoted to the bottom 'of said crate, a bar pivoted to the top of the crate and extending into said sheath, ysaid bar being provided with two spaced aper-y vexpanded position, or to extend through the aperture in said sheath and through the other aperture in said bar to lock the crate plurality of ysleeves extending through said corner members, a stub member extending v'through each of said sleeves and in screwthreaded engagement therewith,

and a closure member for said crate, connected to said stub memberl and secured to the opposite corner member, substantially as described.

.5. Al crate provided with a top and bottom, corner members pivotally connected adjacent their ends to said top and bottom, a

plurality 4of sleeves extending through said corner members, ak stub member extending through each of said sleeves and in screwthreaded engagement therewith, and means in the outer end of said sleeve, whereby rotation thereot, to vary the position of said stub member therein, is facilitated.

In testimony whereof we atx our signatures. Y HARRY D. HAMMOND. JOHN W.k ACHELPOHL. ABNER LESLIE. 

